Key Points
They examined the age and oxygen isotopes in tiny crystals of the mineral zircon...
Water, one of the most precious resources on Earth, has had its own story amid the formation and evolution of the planet..
Researchers from Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Khalifa University, UAE analysed ancient crystals from the Jack Hills in Western Australias Mid-West region..
Study co-author Dr Hugo Olierook, from Curtin Universitys School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the discovery was crucial for understanding how Earth formed and how life emerged...
This discovery not only sheds light on Earths early history but also suggests landmasses and freshwater set the stage for life to flourish within a relatively short time frame less than 600 million years after the planet formed, Dr Olierook said.. Evidence of freshwater deep inside Earth challenges the existing theory that Earth was completely covered by ocean four billion years ago..
